Where Were You
by Ayrpluto72
Summary: Sequel to Just A Little Late. The Avengers find themselves in a panic as Hazel Barton gets ill. When things take a drastic turn for the worse and allies become enemies, Hazel's life is on the line. Can they save her in time or will Hazel's life reach it's climatic end?
1. Chapter 1

It was just a simple cold at first, so how could it have gotten this bad? She had only just been on a mission with the rest of the team that morning, helping to evacuate a large sum of people from a nuclear factory that was about to explode, in which she felt perfectly fine.

Three hours later, there she was starting to feel the symptoms of a cold; blocked nose, headache, fever etc. That was strange enough considering she had never properly gotten a cold before, she was basically immune to them, so why had this tiny cold effected her?

Maybe it was because it was more than just a cold.

Hazel Barton was ill. At first she just had a headache, but over an hour it had expanded into something much worse that none of the Avengers had been prepared for. Now she was on bed rest, and could hardly move any of her muscles. She was coughing up blood, being sick every five minutes and had an inhumane temperature.

When Dr Bruce Banner had gone to check over his fellow teammate, he was shocked at what he discovered. The rest of the team and a few others were all crowded around the small sick bay in the Stark Tower, listening and watching as he made the examination. Tony could already tell that t wasn't good news by the way he moved around and the quick and short furrow of his eyebrows that not even the assassins had managed to pick up. Tony just knew Bruce the best, so he was the first to panic.

"Bruce?" Tony asked worriedly, with his girlfriend Pepper lightly running a hand up and down on his back in an attempt to sooth the billionaire. Bruce looked over at his best friend.

"The symptoms are unlike anything I've ever seen or heard of before. Biologically, she shouldn't even be still alive like symptoms like these." The whole room froze, and Hazel struggled to organise the thoughts in her already messed up head.

Clint held tighter onto his sister's hand. She was only nineteen, this shouldn't have been happening. She had her whole life in front of her and she had saved many lives, but no one could save hers? How was that fair?

"Bruce, there's got to be something." Natasha said and Tony would have made a remark about her actually showing emotion if the time and situation wasn't so sincere. Natasha was Hazel's best friend; she trusted Hazel and Hazel trusted her. There had been many times were the only two female Avengers could only go to each other for advice, and it hurt Natasha to see her teammate and best friend just lying there, dying.

Bruce looked around the room at his teammates, and they knew what his answer would be.

"I don't think she will get better." Steve paused at the news and jumped up from his seat, the metal legs scrapping along the tiled floor. He shook his head as he stormed towards the door. Once he reached the door, he spun around and faced the rest of the room.

"I've lost loved ones before, and I'm not losing anyone again. I'm going to find Fury; he'll figure it out." Steve hurried out of the room, as everyone quickly set into action. Natasha took charge of the team and Pepper.

"Stark, Clint, Thor; you three go after Steve and talk to Fury." They both nodded and exited the room without a word of complaint. "Pepper; you and I will go see if we can find anything to slow down the illness back in Malibu." Pepper nodded and murmured something about readying up the car before heading downstairs to the garage. Natasha turned to Bruce. "Look after Hazel, and try to contact Jared too, he might know." Bruce nodded and sat beside the teenager as the room was finally emptied, Natasha hurrying down to catch up with Pepper.

Hazel turned her head to weakly look at her friend. "Bruce..." She croaked out and he rubbd his thumb on her hand as he held it.

"Shh... It's okay Hazel." He spoke softly but she continued to try to speak.

"What if... what if there isn't a cure?" Bruce looked shocked at the girl, he had never heard Hazel Barton being so negative before and he knew she must really be drifting away. He didn't answer her but before she could ask him again, JARVIS spoke.

"Dr Banner; I believe Jared has just reached the floor." Bruce thanked him and noticed how Hazel's head lifted at the name of her mission partner. Almost seconds later, the door was opened and Jared walked in, clad in tight black and a gun strapped to his leg. He nodded at Bruce as he sat down beside Hazel.

"Jared. Do you have any idea what is happening to her?" Bruce asked carefully, waiting to process any and every word the younger man said. Jared didn't seem phased and stood up walking towards Bruce. He was chewing on some gum and Bruce suddenly realised that he didn't feel safe anymore.

Jared was lightly running his hand across where his gun was resting in his thigh holster and had a crazed look in his eyes. Bruce had never trusted the kid; none of them had but because Hazel insisted he had changed they cast a blind eye to his ways. It was only now Bruce realised that maybe they should have paid closer inspection.

Jared placed his hands on Bruce's shoulders and laughed coldly. "Of course I know. I, after all, was the one who drugged her." Bruce hardly had time to think before Jared brought his hand down at the side of the man's shoulder blade, instantly rendering him unconscious.

Hazel tried to scoot away from Jared as he approached her, grinning maliciously. She froze as he reached out towards her and ran his face down her cheek. She let out a shaky breath before finding the air to speak.

"W-why?" Jared laughed again and Hazel felt her blood run cold.

"I never changed. You just hoped I had. You're valuable to the Avengers Hazel, which means you're valuable as a revenge tactic to us." Jared reached over and unplugged the small drip she was taking to keep her hydrated before picking her weak form up and walking towards the stairs that led to the garage. Hazel soon had fainted and Jared laughed once more. As they reached one of the security cameras, Jared smirked and pulled out his gun before shooting at it and placing Hazel into a car.

He drove away as Hazel lay unconscious in the passenger seat; the Stark tower becoming smaller the further he drove.


	2. Chapter 2

WWY2

Hazel's mouth was dry. She couldn't hear anything. She didn't know what time it was. She couldn't remember what happened. She didn't know where she was. One thing she was sure of though, was the fact she no longer felt ill and she confirmed this thought by the fact she was able to sit up and open her eyes to look around and figure out what was going on. The room was just like one of the guest bedrooms back at the tower, light green walls with a smooth wooden floor, a sliding doored cupboard, a flat screen TV, a bedside desk and a small lamp. Hazel looked to the left to see the source of light was the huge bay windows which replaced the wall. She could see only trees, plants and a perfect blue sky.

Hazel furrowed her eyebrows. There was no sign of civilisation. She pursed her lips as she tried to remember exactly what had happened. She thought it all through as she got up and paced the room; paying no attention to any of the other things.

She had mysteriously taken ill; that was the easiest bit to remember. She then could faintly remember the avengers around her beside before they all left leaving one. Who was it? She closed her eyes in concentration. Bruce! Her eyes opened and she continued pacing.

So far she had pieced together that she had been in her sick bed and was left alone with Bruce but then what? Hazel thought through it all a few more times. Jared. She stopped as she remembered Jared knocking the doctor out before injecting her with something. She couldn't remember much after that apart from him picking her up and walking away.

Hazel shook her head and looked back around the room. She noticed a set of folded clothes on the armchair that she had failed to notice which had a small note folded neatly on top. She didn't question it and instead choose to take a closer look. It was a grey t-shirt, a red and black plaid shirt on top but with the sleeves cut off and a pair of demon shorts. At the foot of the armchair was a pair of red low cut converse. Hazel wasn't too sure what was going on but she slipped the clothes on and noted that they were the exact fit. How these people knew what size she was slightly creeped her out but not as much as the fact she had been kidnapped. She also had to admit that whoever picked the clothes out had a fashion sense.

The old Hazel, Hazel George the young SHIELD agent would have probably freaked out over this but that wasn't her anymore. She was Hazel Barton; the Avenger. She managed to stay calm and consider the positives. So far she didn't have much but it was working.

She picked up the note and scanned it over and her curiosity grew as the note was only short but was much less sincere than she expected.

'Once you're ready, go to the office. if lose ask anyone for directions - J'

She knew it was Jared's handwriting and the small signature of his first initial backed her up. She placed the note into her pocket, took a deep breath and walked out of the room.

She blinked in surprise and found she seemed to be in an almost mansion of sorts. She wandered down the long hallway, with the huge curtains hanging from the ceiling and the red carpet soft to walk on. She figured she would never find this office and just her luck managed to catch a woman in the corridor.

She gave her the directions to the office and was pleased it was only a corridor away. She reached a large mahogany door and chapped on its wood three times before sucking in a breath and waiting.

The door opened and she walked forward, ignoring Jared who had opened the door for her. He rolled his eyes at her and went to close the door.

"You are dismissed Jared." Hazel looked around the room trying to locate the voice but to no avail. Jared seemed ticked off that he didn't get to stay but bowed to whoever had spoke and closed the door behind him on his way out.

Hazel stood still; her eyes flickering around the room to check for potential threats. She found none.

The voice rang out again. "Ah! Hazel Barton!" A man walked out from behind one of the many bookcases and walked towards the nineteen year old, her arms wide open as if he was welcoming back an old friend.

Hazel furrowed her eyebrows at the man. "I don't believe we have met?" She said but it came out as a question. The man laughed and although Hazel felt she should be threatened, she felt at ease and it was almost as if she recognised the light laugh.

The man strode across the few metres between them and placed his hands on Hazel's shoulders. He looked at her face and Hazel realised he was searching her.

"You've grown so much since I last saw you, young one." Hazel raised an eyebrow and opened her mouth before the man placed a finger on her lips. Hazel stood perfectly still and did not dare to move. The man grinned and Hazel saw a set of perfectly straight and white teeth. He was slightly taller than Hazel with dirty blonde hair similar to her own. He had hazel eyes and Hazel couldn't shake the feeling he looked similar.

"I knew SHIELD were harsh but I never realised they would keep this from you." Hazel was more confused now: SHIELD told her everything. Or so she had thought until she met this man. The man let go of the girls shoulders and smiled warmly at her before placing his hands on her arms and grinning widely at the teenager.

"It is I Hazel, your father." Hazel stared at the man, her jaw hanging open in shock while the man continued to smile brightly at her.


	3. Chapter 3

WWY3

_"Hazel! Come on!" Hazel laughed as she raced Jared to the queue for snacks before any of the other recruits had reached the line._

_"We're always going to be friends. Forever." Jared said, swinging an arm over her shoulder_.

* * *

Hazel's eyes snapped open. She didn't remember falling asleep; all she could remember was meeting that strange man who claimed to be her father. She pushed herself up from where she was lying on her back against the cold white marble floor and she quickly examined where she was, remembering to analyse any possibly escape routes.

The man was suddenly in front of her, in her look around she hadn't noticed him approach her from a dark leather armchair perched against on wall. He held out a styrofoam cup and she could see the Starbucks logo plastered clearly against the side. He smiled warmly at her.

"Skinny Decaf Latte. You used to always drink that as a child; even back then you were specific and knew what you liked and wanted." Hazel furrowed her eyebrows. He had gotten that right, but she didn't know this man. She nodded but didn't say anything and stayed quiet as the man kept talking.

She took a sniff of the warm beverage as the man turned around, making sure he hadn't snuck anything in it. Her keen scenes didn't pick up on anything unusual so she gladly took a sip as her host led her towards the fireplace where two armchairs were placed. He sat down on one and she placed herself on to the second, cupping her hands around the cup for warmth. The man noticed.

"Oh sorry Hazel are you cold? Give me a second." He lifted his hand to his ear and tapped it lightly before speaking.

"Bring a pullover for my daughter. Make it quick." Hazel tried to avoid cringing with how uncomfortable it made her when this man she knew nothing about referred to her as his daughter.

"I understand your confusion Hazel. The people that took you away from me have fed you lies and horrible stories to make you forget your real past." Hazel furrowed her eyebrows, not speaking until he said anything else.

"That organisation that you are intwined with; SHEILD. They've been lying to you this whole time Hazel. Clint Barton or Hawkeye - as some might say - isn't even your brother." Hazel sat up straight, placed her coffee cup on the small table beside her and immediately jumped in.

"Clint is my brother. SHEILD even showed me the blood DNA tests and there's a photo of us as kids. They've protected me when-" She was cut off by the man laughing harshly, his recently soft and gentle demeanour gone completely.

"Protected you?!" He exclaimed and she could see the anger in his eyes, and hear the disgust at her words with every syllable the man pronounced. "They've hardly done that; Fury's been sending you out into the field even though you've been classed not fit for duty, they used you as bait for Loki without you knowing, they gave you a fake blood test result, heck, they even made Steve Rogers pretend to love you!" Hazel sat in shock, her eyes wide and her lips parted in confusion.

She didn't want to believe what e was saying, especially not the part about Clint not being her brother and Steve not loving her, but she suddenly found herself doubting the organisation that she had believed she had grown up in - and that too was a fact she was beginning to doubt.

The man composed himself and reached into the pocket of his plaid shirt, where she could see the top of a wallet poking out. He pulled the wallet out and in one fluent swipe, had removed and unfolded a small piece of paper. He leaned forward and extended his arm out, offering the small piece of paper to Hazel. She stared at his arm for a moment before reaching forward and plucking it from his hands.

Her jaw dropped open. It was the photo of a young her and a young Clint, except it wasn't Clint at all. Where Clint had been on the version she was so used to seeing, a younger but spitting image of her apparent "father" was, crouching down and holding his pinky out to her. She looked up at him and he smiled.

"Flip it over." She did as he told her and she saw the small print of letters on the bottom corner.

_"Hazel and Stephen - Thanksgiving Dinner"._

There was a small date written too but it had become so smudged she couldn't fathom what it said. She hadn't the photo back and he ran his thumb across it before folding it back up and placing it back into his wallet for safe keeping.

Hazel stared at him a little longer. "I have carried that around every day since you were taken from me." Hazel, who had already had doubts about Fury for years now, was becoming quick to wanting to believe this man.

She wasn't an orphan if he was telling the truth. She could finally have a parent, something she had gravely missed in her life. She wanted it to be true, and Hazel was confused as to why. She had never wanted anything as much as this.

The man, or Stephen as the photo claimed, smiled widely at her again as the door opened and a woman dressed head to toe in black army gear hurried over, handed her a woollen pullover jumper, nodded to Stephen and hurried out of the room.

Hazel laughed slightly to herself. "Truly is a military operation going on here." Stephen laughed but didn't comment, instead he stood up and motioned for her to do the same.

"Let me show you around. After all, once the tour is finished, you've stayed for dinner and I've proven in every way I can that I'm your father, you might never want to leave."

**_HEY GUYS! The updates on this are much slower than any other story than normal; school started back and I never had pre-wrote this story. On other news, if you go on to youtube and search for my channel "Ayrpluto72" I have posted trailer for my story however I typed the name of the video wrong so I need to fix that. Also in the first story, for the trailer I had Alexandria as Hazel but after watching PLL I decided I think Troian Bellasario fits Hazel better. _**


	4. Chapter 4

WWY4

Tony shoved the cameras out of his face as he left one of the various hospitals he had made a visit to that day. It was his final chance at finding maybe at least something helpful; maybe even a hint or a trail that would help them find Hazel. This was the eighth hospital in a ten mile radius which also made it the last in the area.

They had hoped that maybe Jared had checked her in to get her condition stabled slightly but their enquires left the Avengers with no new answers and Tony with a good couple of grand out of his wallet.

Of course, the public had started to notice the lack of Hazel being around: whether it was during missions or just around the streets of New York City, they knew something was up. The paparazzi had somehow got hold of the information that he had been searching the hospital records for any sign of her and they had started to piece the available parts of the puzzle together in order for a good news story.

He pushed past them and hurried towards his car, slamming the door shut behind him. He quickly sped away before reaching the garage of Stark Tower and getting everything back before he headed upstairs to inform the rest of the team that there had been no improvement in the case of Hazel's kidnapping.

He walked through to see that all the Avengers were sitting around his glass table, and not a single one of them was speaking. Tony could tell that Thor was agitated as he did not know the enemy but before he had known. None of them knew the enemy unless they counted Jared but they had realised earlier on that he must be working with or for someone. He wasn't that smart; in fact they could take him down easily as a team.

What also had agitated Tony was the fact that the tracker he had used to find her last year was malfunctioning and currently was not producing a signal his GPS specially tuned trackers could latch on to. He was infuriated.

Clint and Steve both looked up straight away once they heard his footsteps with Natasha looking up almost a millisecond after. The rest of the team had slower reactions to turn their attention to the man who made his superhero status from the metal suit that was currently of no use to the case of Hazel.

Once they noticed his sour face, they all realised that their last lead they had been relying on had failed them too and left them clutching at the lose strands of thread on the ball of yarn. Steve shook his head and stood up, angrily pushing himself away from the table and towards the lifts. No-one dared stop him. Clint jumped up and followed swiftly after their leader, and Tony knew exactly where they would be heading.

The Helicarrier. Where Nick Fury would be standing on the bridge, looking around and monitoring all of the agents in the clouds. They had been making frequent visits to there just for the small snippet of hope that maybe, just maybe, there would be a lead on Hazel.

He sat down on the leather couch, before turning the television on the wall to a news channel, waiting to see what rubbish the reporters had made up to do with his hospital visits. He rolled his eyes once the first main news headlining story came on the screen.

THE MISSING AVENGER; STARK SEARCHES FOR LOVER

The paparazzi had suddenly decided that Hazel was his new partner even though he was and would always be in love with pepper. He threw the remote in a fit of anger and despair and with a shattering crash, the remote collided with the screen causing a massive crack to cover the led lights.

He placed his head in his hands and although he heard no sound of moving, no words, no noise apart from the sobs that were escaping him; he could feel the pair of arms that wound around his body and gently rocked him back and forth. Tony didn't think about who this was.

Pepper wasn't there. Neither was Clint or Steve. Bruce and Thor would never have done that.

It was Natasha. She may argue with Stark often but even she couldn't bear to see her best friend in such a state. She had been through a fair share of tortures but she had decided that physical torture was nothing compared to the mental and emotional torture all of the team was currently going through.

It hurt her to think her best friend was somewhere being held captive by an unknown enemy and that she could be getting beaten or even worse, completely tortured. All Natasha could picture was Hazel locked away in some dark cellar with hardly any food or light.

Bruce had gone back to his lab once again. He had been spending every minute he could in there for two reasons, the first being the reason the Avengers suspected; that he felt really guilty about Jared knocking him out and managing to escape with Hazel. The second was a major secret only he knew; he had realised that Jared had accidentally left behind a small card when he had lmade a dash for one of the cars.

Bruce didn't tell the others incase it was a dead end: he knew it must be right before they knew.

The paper was basic. A small, roughly A6 size, white piece of paper with an 11 digit number which he instantly understood was a British code after he had looked up the start of the message.

He was going to call it right now. Taking a deep breath, he pulled out his mobile and with shaking fingers, he punched the numbers in.

It rang four times before it was answered. Bruce could hear the person down the other side breathing gently and he suddenly realised that the receiver was not going to talk first. He took a deep breath and reminded himself to not be scared; after all, he was the Hulk.

"Hello?"


	5. Chapter 5

WWY5

Hazel rested her hands on the silver railing, looking out across the snowy grounds of the mansion she was in. She wasn't sure what to make of anything, maybe other SHIELD agents would deny the accusations and head back to SHIELD which is probably what Natasha, Clint and Coulson would do but Hazel was a teenager. Being a teenager didn't necessary mean she would do the wrong thing, it meant that she had more urges that she couldn't control.

All her life she had wondered about her family. What they looked like, what they were like in general, what good had they done yet what bad had they caused, who were they etc.  
She had no idea if this man was telling the truth about being her father but she knew that with each hour that passed, he seemed to always have more evidence than SHIELD did and Hazel knew that was rare.

She missed her team. Their company had always been there for Hazel but now it wasn't. She couldn't get in touch with them, and the last they knew she was almost dying and being carried away by another member of their team.

She hoped they were fine and weren't causing too much trouble, but she smiled as she realised that they were the Avengers; of course they would be in trouble.

Jared smirked as he clicked the save button on the audio file. He hacked into one of the untraceable emails before attaching the file and sending it off. He smirked and cracked his knuckles knowing that this was dangerous but highly exciting at the same time.

This was his revenge, and soon Stephen would get his part of the revenge too. If they were going down; then Hazel Barton was going to crash and burn too.

The older of the two men that were huddled in the small room with the teenage boy set on revenge laughed and leant back against the wall, turning to face his younger acquaintance.

"So how did you do it again?" He asked a hint of a smirk on his lips.

The younger man laughed and combed his hand through his light brown hair. He smiled to show a set of perfect dazzling white teeth and award winning dimples.

"I used a robot decoy designed to look like me. They have no idea that I'm still alive, they think I was incinerated."

"And the girl; she won't know it's you right?"

The man nodded. "She wasn't available for the mission so she doesn't know."

"Perfect."

"Stark will have no idea what is coming his way."

It was Tony's alone relaxation time that he always had on Tuesdays. Of course he was more so worrying about his teammate than relaxing but he did find himself panicked when Pepper hurried into the lounge, her strawberry-blonde hair slightly tousled from the wind and with an urgent look on her face; not counting the fact she was home early from working which in itself is rare.

He placed his current choice of science novel on the table and strode over to her and hugging her tight, feeling her visibly relaxing in her arms. She wrapped her arms around his waist and stood her for a moment before pulling away to address him.

"Tony, I received an audio message at work." Tony looked puzzled so she went on. "It was about Hazel."

She held out her phone and he instantly took it, hacking straight through her password and to the message. He looked at her before he played it.

"Have you listened to this?" She shook her head and explained that it had came with a text. He nodded and pressed play.

"Simple minds don't break easily. Complicated minds don't break any easier, they break harder. Physical torture helps too, and a bit of emotional torture." The recording seemed to move to a different clip, for they could hear someone on a rant at who they presumed was Hazel.

"'They don't love you. It was a lie.'  
'No. I don't believe you.'" The second voice was Hazel but they had no idea who the first person was although it was massively familiar.  
"'Then where are your Avengers now? Do you honestly think that a super soldier from the 1940s would just fall in love with a nineteen year old.'  
'Steve loves me and I love him.'  
'So you think. He doesn't love you: it's part of a plan. Fury has been lying to you; Clint Barton isn't even your brother.'"

Tony paused the recording for a second to share shocked glances with each other. "I think we should finish this with the team." Pepper nodded and Tony got Jarvis to give everyone a call.

Soon they had all gathered and Tony quickly filled them in before continuing the message.

"'Did you honestly believe those DNA tests were real? I've shown you the proof, that's more than enough.'" They could hear that Hazel has gone silent.  
"'As my daughter, I expect you to help with my plan. My plan of revenge on Stark and Potts.'  
'Fine.'  
'I knew you would come through and accept the truth. Their deaths will be the best thing yet.'"

The recording stopped there and everyone stood still, while Tony pulled Pepper into his chest. He shook his head.

"I won't let them touch you." He kissed her on the top of the head and Clint spoke up.

"Who was that? Because I know we are related; I did the test with Bruce. No one tampered with it. It was positive." Clint was annoyed and everyone could tell. Natasha lightly placed a hand on his shoulder and he loosened up ever so slightly. None of them had ever heard that voice before with the exception of Pepper and Tony because they recognised it as clear as day but were trying to remember who and why.

Steve looked agitated and everyone picked up on this. They had hardly been seeing their leader; he was always down at the gym hitting bags. Or that's what they presumed anyway.

Tony thought for a moment before he realised where he had heard the voice before as had Pepper. They spoke at the exact same time: Pepper's voice was soft but Tony's was hard and annoyed.

"Aldrich Killian."


	6. Chapter 6

WWY6

He tightened his tie as he walked down the marble-floored corridor; his head was held high and was radiating power and authority. He smoothed down his suit as he brought up his fist to the door and put on a dazzling smile as he tapped smoothly against the pine wood. He heard the shuffling of the room's inhabitant before the door was opened and she stepped out; with him noticing the difference straight away. He reached out with his left hand and lifted the fishtail braid that her hair was tied in before smirking in a friendly way.

"Nice change, you look even more like your father. Surely, even now you can see that you are in fact related?" He smirked at Hazel and she rolled her eyes.

"Just because I dyed my hair a lighter blonde does not mean I will forget who I have been all these years." She rolled her eyes and closed the door behind her, while pulling the brown strap of her satchel across her shoulder. He laughed at her.

"It certainly doesn't." They continued to walk down the corridor, with her casting looks to her side every now and again. She was wary of him: she knew there was hidden information. He caught her staring and raised an eyebrow and she quickly turned away, embarrassed at the fact that she had been caught in the act.

They continued down the hallway before he pushed a door open and both of them walked through the doorway and into the large bright room, Hazel immediately flinging her satchel down on one of the couches lined up along the wall; it had became a habit and she had only been there a short time.

The man in the suit smiled warmly at her and she watched him as he walked across the room to shake hands with her proclaimed father. She watched as the man's eyebrows furrowed as whatever the latter had told him made him have a quick but obviously detailed think. He nodded and walked out of the room, his face now solemn and only briefly nodding to Hazel as he left. She rolled her eyes and walked over to her 'father'.

"What was that?" He stared at her for a moment before sighing and chuckling to himself.

"Hazel; I know you've figured out I've not been entirely honest with you over who I am." Hazel tensed up, she knew his man couldn't have been who he claimed to be because her father was dead: as simple as that. "I am not Stephen. I am Aldrich Killian."

Hazel stopped over thinking everything and sat staring at him. She had expected something bigger than just a name change; she couldn't even think why a name like that was of any importance for her. She didn't know anyone called Aldrich Killian and unless it mattered to any of the other Avengers she was still confused.

"Stephen is Jared's father. He is the man that escorted you here. I know you might feel betrayed that Jared knew all this time his father was alive here; Jared was sent to protect you from that Erik man who had brainwashed you. I've always been watching you Haze; I love you. You're the only family I have left and I am the only family you have left." Hazel nodded numbly as she thought over everything.

Maybe she was the only family he had left. But he wasn't the only family she had left. She gritted her teeth and was happy to notice that he hadn't been as observant as normal to notice the action. She nodded at him and smiled politely. A loud and abrupt knock on the door drew their attention away from the conversation as her father called for the person to enter. They hurried over to them and handed him a parcel not making eye contact before hurrying off again.

"Why is everyone afraid of you?" Hazel blurted out and he looked up. In his eyes was something Hazel couldn't quite make out. Maybe it was anger, hurt, fear, pride; she wasn't sure.

"Many are afraid of the living Hazel; but everyone is afraid of the dead." Hazel broke the eye contact as his words sent a chill through her spine and although it didn't, she felt like the room had dropped in temperature. She nodded and he passed her the packet.

"The DNA results as you requested." She paused and looked up shocked before pulling the sheet out. She scanned it but only one word stamped on in green ink processed her mind.

'POSITIVE.'

She looked up with tears brimming her eyes and he nodded at her, his mouth in a wide set grin. "Hazel Killian is your name. You've returned home."

Hazel stood up and her gaze turned hard. "Why take me? Why did you make me ill? Why?" She questioned and Aldrich could see she was angered. He had been waiting for this for a while now. It was his chance to start his revenge ploy.

He smirked and stood up so he was towering above her. "You've become a weapon Hazel. And you will help me unless you want to see Bruce Banner die." Hazel froze and closed her eyes shut to process what he just said.

"The Hulk won't let you hurt Bruce."

He laughed and pressed a button so the TV turned one to show a video.

Hazel turned to look at it.

It was Bruce walking around his small apartment that Tony had bought him if he ever needed to get away from the team for a while. She covered her mouth in shock as she heard him say hello and then hang up as there was no answer.

She turned to face her father. "How did you find that place?" She spat, and he smirked at his daughter. He walked towards her and stroked his face while chuckling as she pushed his hand away.

"We planted that number to activate the camera. You mutter in your sleep." Hazel paled as she realised her harmless sleeping habit was possibly going to end her teammate's life if she didn't do what her father wanted.

"What do you want?" He smirked and laughed speeding a chill through Hazel.

"I want you to take care of the Avengers while I settle some issues with Stark and Potts."


	7. Chapter 7

**Two chapters in one night, I know. Im feeling generous. Anyway here is chapter 7 and would like to thank callieandjack and Sonya-Valentine for reviewing :)**

WWY7

If the Avengers had been trying to find Killian, then they were in luck. For Fury had received a local tip-off from the CIA that a man exactly mirroring Killian had been sighted with a girl that too matched Hazel's description. They had been told that they both appeared unarmed but although Hazel didn't have a bow, they all knew her aim with a gun was terrifying.

They hadn't suited up and Bruce was staying at the Helicarrier because the Hulk didn't suit the mission brief. They would have their normal weapons at hand but not obviously, so Steve's shield was being kept in the iron man briefcase that Tony had redecorated so it was a proper looking briefcase and was completely black so it didn't draw too much attention.

They got Clint to drive and they parked outside of Central Park, where Hazel and Killian had been sighted at one of the benches drinking Starbucks coffee. They walked along in a line and even without the suits people noticed Tony and then recognised the rest of the team, but no one approached them.

Once they reached the middle of the park they turned on their earpieces and could hear Bruce giving them directions. "They're just to your left." They all turned in one motion and caught sight of the two targets.

Fury's voice entered the earpieces. "Bring Killian in but let Hazel go back to the tower."

They all listened to him and Steve took control, with the rest being glad to see their leader was leading them again. "Clint and Natasha; you go up to them. We'll be the back-up. Whatever you do, don't attack unless they attack you." They nodded and the two approached the table.

Killian and Hazel had their backs to the super assassins so they didn't notice them approaching. Clint placed his hand on Killian's shoulder and their conversation ceased instantly but neither of them looked round.

"I believe we need to talk." Clint said to the man who had taken away his younger sister. He didn't know that she might not have actually been his sister.

It happened so quick that everyone in the park was shocked. Killian stood up, straightened out his suit and whipped out a gun from the waistband holding it equal with Clint's face. Hazel also jumped up; but she did not produce a weapon. Yet.

Everyone had stopped what they were doing and as Clint stood with a barrel of the gun on his forehead he laughed. "I wouldn't do that if I was you." Killian rolled his eyes but was sent sprawling to the ground when a firm foot belonging to Natasha kicked him in the chest and caused him to lose his balance.

He almost immediately pounced back up, but this time he passed another gun from his jacket to Hazel who had also been kicked to the floor for safety measures. She didn't realise that and thought the team had turned on her which made her fall into Killian's ploy. Both of the raised the guns but while Killian started firing at the two assassin's; Hazel was knocked to the ground by a familiar blue, red and white shield. She pushed herself up as she faced Steve who was not in his suit but his normal clothes. They stared at each other for a moment while different thoughts ran through their heads.

Hazel thought this was a sign that he really had never loved her and that Killian had been telling her the truth the whole time, while Steve thought that she must have always been lying and had been planning this with Killian for a long time now.

There would be no lover's reunion today; this was a fight. Hazel clicked the safety off the gun and fired towards him but his shield easily deflected the bullet. She launched herself forward and he placed his shield on his back as they both engaged in hand to hand combat. She still had her gun though so as her pulled his hand back for a punch, she released a bullet into his thigh. He fell to the ground and she ran over to where Killian was fighting with Natasha and Clint, and she fired at the two of them. The surprise of her attack gave Killian enough time to press to his ear and call for a helicopter. Within seconds their ride had appeared and two harnesses were let down from the copter and they both clipped themselves in quickly; before being pulled up into the copter.

Clint had got his bow though and with one moment of regret but many of greater good, he released an arrow and it sailed through the air, hitting Killian's harness strap and another hitting not the target of Hazel's harness strap but Hazel's shoulder. Killian's strap snapped and as he fell Iron man grabbed him, but the copter flew away with Hazel leaving the Avengers with only one of their targets.

They all stared at Killian as he laughed at them before they handcuffed him and with the public now highly aware of why Hazel had not been sighted recently; they headed back to the Helicarrier to imprison Killian for the time being.

As they sat in the car, Clint was holding Killian still. "What did you do to her?" He demanded, ignoring any of the looks his team were giving each other.

Killian ignored him before Clint banged the man's face against the assassin's knee. There was a gasp of pain from the man and he wheezed out an answer. He laughed and all the Avengers minus Thor and Bruce looked at him.

"Faked a DNA test, manipulated her into believing you all hated her, Steve didn't love her and that you weren't her brother, told her I was her father, faked some voice messages, photoshoped a picture to look like I knew her when she was a kid, just the usual." Clint smacked the butt of hid gun on the man's head knocking him out but he didn't care. His sister had attacked them because she had been tricked, but he had just shot her for something she didn't have control over.

"Did anyone notice she dyed her hair?" Tony asked to lighten the tension and there was a short laugh but Clint was filled with guilt.


	8. Chapter 8

Hazel tried not to flinch as Jared placed one hand on her arm and wrapped the other around the arrow shaft that was currently sticking out of her shoulder. She gritted her teeth while tightening her grip on the metal medical chair she had been placed in upon arrival by Jared. Jared took a deep breath before he pulled his arm back and ripped the arrow out of her flesh on her shoulder. Hazel let out a deep yell of pain. He rolled his eyes at her, applied a wad of bandage before securing it with gauze. He pulled out some medical tape and wrapped it over the gauze, making sure the wound would stay perfectly covered up and so that she wouldn't get any infections from dirt getting into the deep puncture. He looked up at her and she matched his gaze; the two of them reflecting on how far they had come.

"Thanks." She said and he nodded; the two of them proceeding to sit in absolute silence in the medical room. Hazel found herself thinking back on the old times with Jared back when they both worked for Erik, a man who had trained them to who they were today: or so she had thought. She turned her attention back to him before concentrating really hard on his eyes. She pushed her mind forward and felt a small hint of satisfaction when she felt the small energy bubble she had been desperately wanting to connect to so that she might finally get her answers at last.

'_Jared. Why didn't you tell me?_' He looked up with a look in his eyes that Hazel had never seen on him before and she couldn't quite determine what it was. She thought she saw a ghost of a smile on his lips but as quick as it appeared, it was gone: leaving Hazel thinking she imagined it. Maybe he just was laughing at her for asking such a stupid question – and if she knew Jared as well as she hoped then he probably was. She snapped her head back up from her feet once she heard the familiar raspy tone of Jared's thoughts.

'_So, you finally remembered we have a mental connection. How kind of you.'_ Even through her thoughts she could hear his sarcasm and her eyes narrowed slightly before she let out a long sigh and rolled her eyes. He stood up and started to clean away the medical supplies he had been using to fix Hazel up. She repeated the question: harsher this time.

He let out a short sigh. '_You never asked_.' Hazel was about to butt in and tell him she couldn't have asked because she didn't know and that he never left any hints until she realised it. Jared was right. Never once had she actually asked how he was brought in; Erik had told her the story. Of course! Jared had never needed to answer to Erik -he had always told Hazel it was because he was just higher up than her – but the more she looked into it, it had always been Erik answering to Jared in a subtle way that she had not been focused enough on to realise. She made a quick side note that she needs to get wearier of her surroundings and pay more attention because she just keeps getting herself into more and more trouble from not watching her surroundings or people she was surrounded by. She had been so self-centred once again that she missed out on what was right in front of her eyes. If she had just taken a moment then maybe she could have prevented all of this from ever happening. Everything was all her fault and she still had the feeling that nothing was quite as it seemed, she could hear the whispers as she walked down these halls and although Killian told her it was just because she had returned after such a long time – she knew he was lying.

She opened her mouth and spoke verbally after an awkward silence had masked the room and she knew that whoever the real Stephen actually was, would be watching them over the security cameras and she had no doubt that Jared had not told them about their connection.

"The Avengers: will they kill my father?" Jared knew that he was being monitored and as much as he wanted to tell his old friend that they couldn't kill her father because the man was already dead, he knew that if he didn't go along with it his punishment would be terrifically worse than last time when he let her escape in 2009. He looked her straight in the eye and hoped she would be able to catch on to her double meaning; for he would always try to save her.

"No. They probably won't kill Adrian. They can't kill you father." Hazel nodded and Jared sighed as he realised she hadn't gotten his double message. She stood up and noticed that the meds were taking their toll as she no longer felt any pain in her shoulder. She was not drowsy and she was grateful for that because Hazel was going to get her family back but she was going to do it herself; she needed the closure of knowing that she would be saving her family and not being on the sidelines watching for once in her life. She needed to know that if this mission went wrong, that there was no-one else she could blame in her life, because there would be no-one left full stop.

"Thank you again, my friend." Her hand lightly brushed along his shoulder as she started to walk out about to being her mission. As she left Jared stared longingly after her, before turning away from the camera so that they could not see his smirk or the way his eyes glimmered with hope and joy.

Hazel understood that something wasn't quite right and he knew exactly what she would do now even if she didn't know for herself yet. But he knew what sacrifices she would be making.

"You shouldn't be thanking me yet."


End file.
